Muzaffarnagar riots: SIT files fresh chargesheet against 235
Muzaffarnagar: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the Muzaffarnagar riot cases has filed a fresh chargesheet against 235 people in connection with the different cases, SIT sources said on Sunday. A fresh chargesheet has been issued to 235 people in connection with different riot cases, Manoj Jha, Additional SP, SIT told reporters here. A local court has issued non bailable warrants against 349 people and initiated attachment proceedings against 108 people who are absconding in connection with riot cases, said Jha. 336 accused have been arrested so far and 987 people declared wanted in riot cases in the district, he said. After the investigation SIT has declared the involvement of 987 people involved in riot cases, added Jha. Six cases of gang rape were registered against 27 people during riots in which 22 people were found involved. While one Vedpal has been arrested, 21 others are absconding and attachment proceedings against them have been initiated by the court. Police has registered 566 riot cases against 6244 people in connection with the violence, Jha said. Over 60 persons were killed and more than 40,000 displaced in communal violence that had broken out in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas in September last year. (PTI)
Girl gangraped by four
Muzaffarnagar: A girl was allegedly abducted and gangraped by four persons at an agricultural farm in Sambhalhera village, police said on Sunday. The victim was abducted and gangraped on February 1 at an agricultural farm here by four persons including the farm owner, police said. A case has been registered against the accused identified as Sanoj, Monu, farm owner Jinder Kumar while the fourth accused has not been identified yet, they said. The victim’s family has alleged that the case was registered after SSP’s intervention as police had refused to register an FIR following which they approached SSP HN Singh. In another case, an absconding rape accused Toni was arrested today for raping a seven-year-old girl at Tadeda village in the district. Meanwhile, a 25-year-old youth committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling of his room at Kalyanpuri locality here on Saturday, police said. The body of the deceased identified as Sunil Kumar has been sent for postmortem and further investigation is going on, police said. (PTI)
Will complete road restoration in U’khand by April end: BRO
Dehradun: The Border Roads Organisation has said that it will ensure complete restoration of the roads damaged in the Uttarakhand flash floods by April 30 to enable a smooth and trouble-free ‘char dham’ pilgrimage this season. An assurance to the effect was given by BRO DG, Lt Gen AT Parnaik, to Chief Minister Harish Rawat and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Oscar Fernandes at a meeting in Haridwar on Saturday, according to a release here. BRO has been entrusted with the task of repair and reconstruction of damaged roads leading to the famous Himalayan shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri. BRO has sought adequate manpower, machinery and material from the government to help it achieve its target, the release added. It was agreed that BRO will formally submit its requirements to the state government by February 15. BRO has also been asked to identify road stretches close to rivers which are vulnerable to erosion and submit a list in this regard to the state government for taking of corrective measures. Rawat assured BRO that mobile vans, water tanks and food subsidy will be provided to its personnel who are engaged in road repair work. Stone crushers and other building material will also be provided, he added. Fernandes said that the entire amount sanctioned to BRO for restoring the road network would be released soon and assured that there will be no dearth of funds for the work. Large stretches of roads in Uttarakhand suffered extensive damage in the mid-June flash floods in the state last year. (PTI)
Dry weather in UP, mercury dips in some places
Lucknow: Night temperatures fell markedly in several districts in Uttar Pradesh where mainly dry weather prevailed on Sunday. Minimum temperatures plummeted in Agra, Lucknow, Bareilly, Moradabad, Jhansi, Meerut and Faizabad divisions, the Met office said. However, the low settled above normal in Jhansi, Varanasi and Allahabad divisions, it said. The minimum in Muzaffarnagar touched five degrees Celsius as fog engulfed some parts of the state, the weather office said. (PTI)